Mycoplasma Species of Man.

INTRODUCTION.................................................................. 186 GENERAL PROPERTIES OF THE GENUS MYCOPLASMA.............................. 186 Definition.................................................................... 186 Taxonomy.................................................................... 187 Relationship of Mycoplasmas to L Forms....................................... 188 Size, Morphology, and Mode of Replication..................................... 188 Growth Requirements................................................... 190 Nutrition and Metabolism................................................... 191 Protein and lipid requirements .............................................. 191 Amino acids and carbohydrates.............................................. 192 Nucleic acid requirements ................................................... 192 Vitamin requirements....................................................... 192 Chemical Composition................................................... 192 Antibiotic and Chemical Sensitivity............................................ 193 HUMAN SPECIES OF MYCOPLASMAS............................................... 193 Well-Characterized Species ................................................... 193 Nomenclature............................................................... 193 Ecology.................................................................... 195 Frequency of isolation....................................................... 195 Properties.................................................................. 195 Antigenic relationships..................................................... 196 Partially Characterized Species................................................ 197 New isolates from the oropharynx .......................................... 197 Navel strain................................................................ 198 T strains ................... ................................................. 198 Isolates from tissue cultures inoculated with human material ...... ............ 198 Isolate from human leukemia................................................ 198 ROLE OF MYCOPLASMAS IN HUMAN DISEASE..................................... 199 Respiratory Disease Caused by M. pneumoniae................................. 199 Primary atypical pneumonia................................................ 199 History of the agent......................................................... 199 Etiological role in respiratory-tract disease................................... 200 Recognition as a mycoplasma................................................ 201 Growth and nutritional properties............................................ 201 Biochemical properties ................................................... 202 Hemolysis and hemadsorption ............................................... 202 Host range and pathogenicity................................................ 202 Antigenic relationships..................................................... 203 Diagnosis of infection and antibody response................................. 203 Cold agglutinins and streptococcus MG agglutinins............................ 204 Importance in disease....................................................... 205 Inhibitors of M. pneumoniae ................................................ 206 Treatment.................................................................. 207 Respiratory Disease Caused by M. hominis Type 1 ........ ..................... 207 Genitourinary Tract Disease .................................................. 207 Arthritis..................................................................... 209 MYCOPLASMA CONTAMINATION OF TISSUE CULTURES............................. 209 Source and Species Identification.............................................. 210 Detection of Contamination................................................... 210 Prevention of Contamination .................................................. 211 SUMMATION ................................................. 211 LITERATURE CITED................................................. 212